Commutator



Sept. 6, 1927.

P. M. RAN DALI, comwTAToR Original Filed April 14, 1919 Fwd-.2- Q

INVENTOR ATTORNEY l Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

- UNITED STATES P 1,641,194 ATE'NT OFFICE.

runny 1vr. RANDALL, OF NEW YomcN. Y., AssieNoaEY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

FRANK oqiaarees, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, Y.

COMMUTATOR.

Application filcd April 14, 1919, Serial No. 289,902. 1 Renewed January 27 1922. Serial No. 532,260.

This invention has relation to commutators for the distribution of electric current, with particular reference to a commutator for use in motor vehiclesfand hasfor its 5 specific object to provide a commutator of a new and novel type designed to replace the commutator at present used upon a popular low priced car with a view to improving the general efiiciency and operation of the A particular object of the invention is to provide a commutator which is reversible so that when the contacts exposed at one side thereof become worn through use, the

' commutator may be reversed to. present a new surface and in this manner secure double service from a single device.

The commutator comprises a disk with a flange encircling the same, of fibre or other insulating materials, having contacts extending through the disk presenting opposite surfaces for engagement withv a brush upon the timer shaft. H v In addition to the foregoing, this inven- 5 tion comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter described and par ticularly setforth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which vsimilar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several viewsin which they appear,

Figure 3-5 commutator illustrating parts in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal. section taken through the commutator. Figure 3 is a view thereof in plan. Figure 4 is a face view of the commutator with Working parts removed.

Figure-5 is a face view of the brush holder, and I C 1 v Figure 6'is 'a' View thereofin side elevation with parts broken away. 45 With reference to the drawings, in which I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, 10 indicates adi'sk of fibre or other non-conducting material hav- 1 is a face View of my improved ing its center portion formed with a circular perforation 11, and opposite faces preferably 1 formed with concentric, grooves; 12. Enclosing the disk and engaging the periplr 'ery thereofis a. band 13jof fibre or other nonconducting material having its ends extended beyond the surfaces ofthe disk as shown in Figure 2,, the inner end of the flange serving to seat the commutator against the base plate.- Extending transversely through the disk 10 and located in perforations provided therein are contact bars 141 formed of sections of good conduct- 1 ing material such. as copper rod preferably circular in cross section. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the ends of the contact sections 1 1 are exposed at opposite sides of the disk. To provide a path for the current from the contact bars 14 I provide radially extending openings through the band 13 and disk 10 at points opposite the contactbars in which perforations I insert shortsections of rod 15 which enter at one 7 end into recesses 16 in the contact bar 14- and at their opposite ends areformed with conical recesses .17. The outer. ends of the rods 15 preferably flush with the periphery of the disk 10 so that said disk may be disengaged from the band if, desired. This makes it possible to reverse the disk without reversing the band, though it is simpler to reverse both as a unit. In this connection it will be observed that the band or flange 13 preferably projects equally at both sides of the. disk. The radial openings in the band 18 are threaded to receive machine screws .18 which are pointed at their inner ends to enter recesses 17 in the outer ends of "the rods 15, and jamb nuts 19 applied to their opposite ends to bind against the outer surface of the band 13 and to secure the screws in place. Thus, the screws 18 serve A as binding posts to which the.leads fronr the several spark plugs may be connected. The timer shaft, indicated at 20 is formed 1 through a transverse opening in the reduced portion 22 of the timer shaft to securely lock the collar in place.

A recessed collar 26 may then be applied to the reduced portion 22=to cover the ends of the collar and the ends of the pin and a nut 27 may then be further applied to the reduced portion to secure the collar 26 in place. The collar, 26 forms a part of the conventional construcwith. the reduced portion 21 which passes tion of commutator at present used in the vehicle in which my improved commutator is designed to be embodied. The collar 23 is formed with a radially extending lug-Q3 which is apertured transversely to receive the reduced end 29 of a brush device comprising an angularly bent rod 30 having the reduced portion 29 at one end and its opposite end provided with a threaded apertiu-e 31 in which to receive the reduced and threaded end 32 of a block 33 of good conducting material such as copper. A coiled spring 34 surrounds one portion of the rod 30 with one end bearing against the lug 28 and the other upon the rod 30 to urge the block 33 into engagement with the face of the disk 10 and consequently ensure firm contact'between said block 33 and the con tact bars 14 during rotation of the timer shaft. The commutator is rendered dust proof by applying a cap 35, preferably imperforate and conical in form, thereto having a radial flange 36 on its base portion extending outwardly to engage the outer face of the disk 10 and to snugly fit within the band 13. The apex of the cover is formed with a depression 37 in which is received a spring finger (not shown) form ing a part of the equipment of the vehicle, to secure the cap 35 in place. This cap may be pressed of thin metal. In order-to rotate the timer to secure advancement or retardation of its spark I provide a device consisting of a plate 38 curved to lit the outer surface of the band 10 and having transversely extending notches 39 formed therein on one margin, and an outwardly and radially extending apertured lug 4.0 to which the rod leading from the spark lever may be attached. A pair-of machine screws 41 are threadedly engaged in radial openings in the band 13 and enter the notches 35) when the plate 38 is in place. By tighten ing up the screws the plate is securely held.

It will be obvious, that during rotation of the timer shaft the copper block 33 will successively engage the ends of the bars 14 to distribute current successively to the rods 15 and binding posts and thence to the spark plugs. The fibre or material from which the disk 10 is composed is designed to wear approximately at the same rate as the wear of the contacts 14. Any dust or particles that mayaccumulate as the result of operation of the timer will be thrown outward and collected in the groove 12 for which purpose it is provided. However, should one side of the commutator be unduly worn so as to reduce the efliciency of operation thereof it becomes a simple matter to remote the nut 27, band 26 and collar 23 whereupon the commutator as an entirety may be removed from the timer shaft, reversed, and reapplied presenting the opposite side ofthe disk end outward. The

several working parts may then be replaced upon the timer shaft and a new surface will be presented. In this manner one device will give double-the length of service of any other commutator of a similar kind at present in use. It will also be obvious that the block 33 of the brush may be read ily removed when, worn and a new one substituted. lVhen the commutator reversed as described above, the plate 38 may be readily withdrawn from beneath the screws 41, reversed and reapplied on the other side in an obvious way.

By providing cont-acts on the side of the commutator away from the main body of the shaft which it surrounds and which is subjected to the oil and grease from the engine, and by providing a readily removable dust cap surrounding the working faces of the contact and the brush which engages the same, the working parts of the commutator-s are kept away from the oil, grease and dirt of the engine. The wiping contact continually keeps the working faces of the stationary contacts clean and no oil. is necessary in the operation of the device.

VVhile'I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, Irealize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlated parts without dcparting'from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A commutator for internal combustion engine including a support of non-conducting material adapted to be mounted about a timer shaft, contacts at both sides of the support, and a rotor having a single contact adapted to be mounted upon the timer shaft and to successively engage one set or the other of the contacts of the support depending upon which side of the support is disposed adjacent the rotor.

2. A commutator including a disk of non-conducting material adapted to be mounted about a timer shaft, contacts extending transversely through the disk exposing opposite ends whereby either side of the disk may be presented for use, and a brush adapted to be mounted upon the timer shaft to engage the contacts.

3. In a commutator, a disk of non-con ducting material adapted to be mounted about a timer shaft, bars of conducting material extending transversely through the disk and having opposite ends exposed and a brush adapted to be mounted upon the timer shaft to successively engage the contact bars, said disk being reversible endto end to present either face thereof for engagement with the brush.

4. In a commutator, a disk adapted to be mounted about a timer shaft and having its opposite faces grooved concentrically, me tallic bars extending transversely through the disk exposingv opposite ends, and a brush adapted to be mounted upon the timer shaft and to successively engage the con- I first rods.

6. In a commutator, a disk of non-conducting material, contact members located therein, conducting members extending radially into the disk having their inner ends contacting the contacts and their outer ends flush with the outer periphery of the disk, a band of non-conducting material surrounding the periphery of the disk and having openings registering with the contact members and threaded members inserted in said opening and engaging the conducting members forming binding posts therefor.

7. A commutator including a disk of nonconducting material, a band of non-conducting material surrounding the periphery of the'disk and extending beyond the faces thereof, contacts mounted in the disk, and a removable cap to cover one face of the disk and to be enclosed within the band.

8. Ina commutator, a disk of non-conducting material, contacts mounted therein, a band of non-conducting material surrounding the periphery of the disk and extending beyond the faces thereof, and a conical cap having an outwardly extending radial flange on its face portion adaptedto engage either face of the disk andto be enclosed within the band.

9. A commutator including, a reversible disk of non conducting material, a band of "non-conducting material surrounding the periphery of the disk and extending equally at both sides beyond the faces thereof, contacts mounted in the disk and exposed at both sides, and a removable cap to cover one face ofthe disk and to be enclosed within either projecting portion of the band.

10. In a commutator, a body portion of non-cpnducting material, contacts mounted there1n,a collar adapted to be mounted upon the timer shaft, an apertured lug ex tending therefrom, an angular arm pivotally mounted in the lug, a brush carried by the opposite end of the arm, and a coiled spring surrounding the arm to urge the latter andbrush into engagement with the contacts.

11; In a commutator, a body comprising a disk of non-conducting material, contacts extending therethrough presenting opposite faces whereby the commutator may be reversed end to end to employ either side,

and a lug mounted upon the periphery of the body, detachable and reversible with respect to the body so as to preserve its position when the commutator is reversed.

12. In a commutator, a disk of 'non-conducting material, a band surrounding the periphery of the disk, contacts in the disk extending therethrough to present opposite faces whereby the commutator may be reversed to employ either side, threaded members extending radially from the band, a

plate having notches at one'margin to receive the threaded members, a lug extending from said plate for connection to the sparking lever connection, said plate being removable for reversal when the commutator is reversed. a

18. A timer comprising an insulating member fixed in position during normal operation, a series of contacts extending through said insulating member and terminating flush with the lateral surfaces therei of, means for reversibly securing said insulating member in position, and a rotatable brush adapted to engage the contacts on either surface of said member depending upon its position.

14. A timer comprising an insulating member fixed in position during normal operation and provided with a central opening, a series of contacts concentrically arranged about said openings and extending through said insulating member and terminating flush with the lateral surfaces of said member, means for reversibly securing said member in positiolnand a rotatable brushadapted to engage the contacts on either surface of said member depending upon its position.

15. A circuit maker and breaker for ignition circuits for gas engines comprising rotor and stator members, one of said members having similar, opposite, contact faces,

similar opposite contact faces, and a brush carrying rotor. 17 In a timer for internal combustion engmes, a commutator formed as a disc ofinsulating material and having spaced plugs extending therethrough, the ends of the plugs being flush with the respective faces of the commutator. I

In testimony whereofI afiix my signature.

PURDY M. RANDALL. 

